Three Lessons I Learned Running for Student Body President

Running for student body president has been an incredible experience. I have learned several lessons, but the most influential have been adaptability, humility, and compassion.

Adaptability

When you decided to run, you already had an idea of what you wanted to accomplish and why you were the better candidate for the office. In my experience however, as you begin to talk to students, the things you thought were important may change. If improving the cafeteria food was number one on your list, but parking is number one on students’ list, you are going to have to adapt to make your campaign align with what is important to students.

Humility

Students supporting are relying on you to make a difference. The fact that students believe in what you are doing and trust you to make a difference is extremely humbling. You are student just like them, but they have faith that you will accurately represent them to the university administration.

Compassion

Your opponent is a student just like you. They want to be a leader on campus and impact the lives of students just like you. You just have different ideas and dreams of how that could be done. While it may be tempting to constantly point out the things your opponent did wrong and where they failed, it is key to remember they were doing what they thought was best. The idea is to stay true to your main points and how you would do things differently without maligning the student you are running against.

I have created relationships and received a fuller image of the student body that has enhanced my college experience. Even though my campaign for the presidency will be over in just a few days, adaptability, humility, and compassion are lessons that I have learned through this experience will be with me no matter the election results.